Loredana Micu

"Yida Unity"
Mixed media
30 x 38cm
 

The drawing was inspired by a short video made by AJ+ ( Al Jazeera Media Network) about the artisanal coffee brewed in Yida refugee camp (Unity, South Sudan), where people have been living for years after fleeing a war in Nuba Mountains.
 

The video follows the method of preparing and brewing coffee - the beans being roasted, ground, infused with ginger, cardamom and cinnamon and prepared in kettles made from food ratio tins, then being served in traditional vessels.  People talk about what the drink means to them – sharing coffee as an opportune time to talk and dissipate disputes within the community , creating a context for communication, a source of energy to help through a draining day on the field and - for the widowed  owner of the café – a source of income in an instable environment, where people are trying to rebuild their lives.
 

Therefore the drawing tries to reflect the sense of independence, community and resilience transpiring from the experience of the tiny café which offers a sense of stability, normality and a reminder of unity in times of conflict.